Writer reflects on woeful experiences

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This article was published 11/12/2003 (8166 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ADAM Fuchs doesn’t fight his melancholy.

Flip through the pages of his latest collection of poetry, The Hand I’ve Been Dealt: A Collection of Poetry and Song, Streams of Thought and Reflection, and it’s obvious his art wouldn’t be what it is without his woeful experiences.

The collection features soul-bearing pieces centred around a former love relationship that left the 23-year-old North Kildonan resident heartbroken.

But the budding writer is certain there is hopefulness in his gloominess.

“It is definitely moody. It is heavy,” says Fuchs. “But it does have that vanilla icing that lightens it up.”

His love for writing began in high school at River East Collegiate, when Fuchs had dreams of penning comic strips. Later, he tried his hand at fantasy writing and has since written several books in the genre. Fuchs, who goes by the pen name A.P. Fuchs, has self-published a novel, A Stranger Dead, as well as his latest poetry collection. He’s also in talks with conventional publishers who are interested in two more of his novels.

Fuchs admits that launching a writing career hasn’t been easy. He works at a call centre to pay the bills, although his ultimate aim is to work as a full-time writer. And that’s a goal that is on his mind most of the time. He carries a notebook everywhere, he often goes all-night writing benders when the inspiration strikes and he frequents online writing forums in hopes of hooking up with writing industry types.

Why the writing fixation?

Fuchs, who suffers from clinical depression, says writing serves as therapy, helping him come to terms with his emotions.

“A lot of it is admitting I’ve been hurt by someone. It’s about loving them anyway,” he says. “It’s also about hope. I’m stuck here right now, but you know there’s going to be a light at the end of it all.”

His favourite piece in his latest book is a poem called Amanda. He also has written stream-of-thought pieces he says are more meaningful than they may appear.

“There is no punctuation, but it’s amazing how one word triggers into the next. You get something different out of it each time.”

Fuchs also pens tunes on piano and guitar, and has set his favourite poem to music. He admires songwriters such as the Tragically Hip’s Gord Downey and Adam Duritz of the Counting Crows for their straightforward lyrics.

“I’m not a fan of hidden meanings and metaphors and things like that. I’m more about honesty,” he says. “Tell it to me straight, whether it be in rhyme or free verse. If there is a feeling attached to it, there is meaning in the poem.”

He’s hoping that wearing his heart on his sleeve will affect readers everywhere, even if it doesn’t make him rich or famous.

“We put everything into it, blood and sweat, staying up late at night. We keep going anyway,” he says of writers. “It’s not about fame or money. We just want to reach the reader.”

To find out more about A.P. Fuchs, check out his website at www.apfuchs.com.

PHOTO MIKE DEAL/WINNIPEG FREE PRESS